Police from around the world in Richmond

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RICHMOND, Va (WTVR)- We’re accustomed to using Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites to keep up with family and friends. However, for police, these sites are just another weapon in their arsenal.

To make sure they’re using these weapons properly, police from around the world were in Richmond for a social media conference, with the Richmond Police Department playing host. RPD is particular has a number of accolades for its used of social media.

They’re not only using various platforms to instantly inform you of accidents and safety tips, but, to keep criminals out of your neighborhood.

Richmond Police Spokesperson, Dionne Waugh tells CBS 6, an increasing number of crimes are being solved with investigators simply logging on to different social media sites. “Criminals use it just as much as non-criminals and they don’t lock it down. They don’t hide it from anyone. So, it’s very easy to look through the social networking sites and find information about crimes. Criminals even brag about it, so, they make it quite easy for us to catch them sometimes,” says Waugh.

Waugh calls Facebook and Twitter the digital fingerprint for investigators. The social media conference wrapped up Wednesday night.